Teacher accused of indecent acts against students in northern city Safed

Moshe Saada, 65, charged with abusing seven children aged 9 to 12 over a period of 16 years; police believe there may be other victims, appeal for them to come forward

Charges were filed Wednesday at the Nazareth District Court against Moshe Saada, 65, from the northern city of Safed, on suspicion of multiple sex offenses against seven children he taught at the Pirhe Kehuna school in the city.

According to the charge sheet, Saada carried out the alleged offenses between 2010 and 2026 against children then aged between 9 and 12.

Channel 12 reported that Sadaa was also suspected of having raped one boy.

Prosecutors said he would take children into his classroom, sometimes plying them with candies or games, lock the door, and then perform indecent acts on them. In some cases, he would tell the children to give him a back or shoulder rub and then use their close proximity to carry out the acts.

Some of the children were abused for a prolonged period and were victims of many assaults, prosecutors said. Assaults were also allegedly carried out in the school bathrooms. In some cases, Saada used force to carry out the attacks, according to the charges.

Prosecutors said that he would give preferential treatment to some of the children he was abusing, such as not reporting any bad behavior to parents.

He was arrested on May 19, and has been kept in custody since then. Saada denies the charges against him.

Police have previously asked other potential victims to come forward and suspect there were more children who were abused but have not yet come forward, Channel 12 reported. Officers appealed for anyone who has knowledge of possible abuse committed by Saada to come forward at any station across the country.